Despite not making headlines as often, crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community are still an issue across the country. Several incidents of violence are reported weekly nationwide in which AAPI community members are targeted due to their ethnic background. In a recent incident, a man identified as Dylan Kesterson, who was first arrested Saturday after allegedly attacking a family of Japanese descent, has been charged with a hate crime
According to The Washington Post, Kesterson shouted racial slurs and physically attacked a 5-year-old and her father with racial bias on Saturday on a bicycle path in Portland, Oregon. In a statement issued Tuesday, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that 34-year-old Kesterson has been charged with harassment, assault, and multiple counts of bias crime in the attack.
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Authorities said a California father, mother, and daughter were riding bikes on the Eastbank Esplanade when Kesterson approached them, punched the father in the head and then punched the child in the helmet she was wearing several times. While the girl did not sustain any injuries, the father, who has not been publicly identified, was treated at a hospital. Police said he was punched more than 50 times.
While in many incidents people have been reported to stand by and watch, in this incident multiple bystanders not only witnessed the violence but attempted to stop it. This police said the action allowed for the situation to stop before it escalated further.
“It’s just unfortunate someone would do that,” one bystander told Fox 12. “This was a bias crime, for sure. He was yelling that ‘You don’t belong in my country, you’ve taken my stuff.’ It was obvious he was angry with them because of what they looked like.”
After being arrested on Saturday, Keterson was to appear in court Tuesday but failed to do so. According to Fox 12, he was then told to appear Wednesday but again did not, and officers arrested him shortly after.
“We felt we might be killed,” the victim said during an arraignment hearing Tuesday, NBC News affiliate KGW8 reported. “This is a very horrible experience for us and if he’s released, we believe a lot of Japanese and other Asians will be injured.”
Court records indicate Keterson has no previous criminal record and is currently homeless. He was released after his initial arrest because of his lack of criminal history but charged later with stricter crimes including a hate crime.
“According to court records, this person had no arrests or convictions of any type and so qualified for conditional release prior to arraignment,” Judge Albrecht said in a statement to KGW.
The family visiting from California is still traumatized from the incident. The father told KGW8 he had taken his family there because of the good things he had heard. “Every one of my friends recommended me to visit Portland because it is a good city. But for us, it is hard to visit there anymore,” he said.
After Saturday’s attack in Portland, Commissioner Carmen Rubio, who oversees the city’s Office of Equity and Human Rights, called it a “terrifying event.”
“No one should ever fear for their safety/security — whether visiting our city or living here,” she tweeted.
According to KGW8, a recent report by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission found that anti-Asian incidents in the state have increased by almost 200% since last year. Since the start of the pandemic, hate against the AAPI community has increased at a rapid rate. A National study found that not only did violence against the AAPI community increase by 339% in 2021 compared to the previous year, but that Asian Americans are changing their daily routines out of fear of violence.
Additionally, data released by the FBI found that hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent in the U.S. rose by 70% last year when compared to the number of such incidents in 2019. The report found that more than 10,000 people reported hate crimes to law enforcement, the highest tally of reported hate crimes since 2008.
The AAPI community needs our support now more than ever. Hate is the real virus, and we cannot let it continue. Daily Kos has compiled resources to help our community stand united against racism. Help us put an end to this hate.
